Gentilly businesses offered opportunity to grow

Here’s a wonderful opportunity to help small businesses grow in Gentilly.

Capital One Bank, in partnership with the Urban League of Greater New Orleans, has announced the second annual “Grow Gentilly” competition for small businesses’ growth plans.

Mark Boucree, vice president and business development officer for Capital One Bank, would like to make all businesses in the 70122 ZIP code aware of the competition. The application deadline is July 31.

The winner of the competition will receive a cash award of $10,000. The contestants who finish second and third will receive $7,000 and $3,000, respectively. The top three also will receive technical and professional assistance to enhance their businesses.

“We’re pleased to partner with the Urban League of Greater New Orleans for the second year in a row to offer this competition,” said Tammy Boyd, business banking market credit executive for Capital One’s local efforts.

To be eligible for the Grow Gentilly competition, businesses and their owners must meet these key criteria: The business’ revenue in the most recent fiscal year must have been $1 million or less, and the applicant must have owned the business since before Aug. 31.

The business must be in the 70122 ZIP code, and the applicant/owner must demonstrate the potential or desire to grow and create jobs in the Gentilly community.

The competition is divided into two rounds. In the first, applicants will complete and submit an online form to provide a comprehensive overview of their business. Each applicant then will be assigned a Capital One business banker, who will provide insight and help the applicant fine-tune the application.

Six finalists will be announced Sept. 15 and will compete in the second round on Oct. 15, during which each contender will make an eight- to 10-minute business presentation in front of a panel of community and business leaders. The cash awards will go to the owners of the three businesses whose plans are judged by the panel to be the most creative, innovative and likely to succeed and create jobs in the Gentilly area.

Apply at www.cybergrants.com/capitalone/growgentilly.

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The Dillard University Community Development Corp. will hold its annual Housing and Home Improvement Festival in Dent Hall on the Dillard campus Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission is free. I have attended this event numerous times, and I can testify that any information you need about housing and home improvements can be obtained at it.

In its sixth year, the housing fair is sponsored by the AARP, Capital One Bank, New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Entergy New Orleans.

There will be workshops on reducing energy consumption, creating a community garden, do-it-yourself plumbing, increasing your credit rating, planning your will and soft second mortgages.

To learn more or to reserve a space, contact Nick Harris at 504.816.4704 or nharris@dillard.edu.

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Manifested Miracles is a women’s transformation program that is changing lives.

On July 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the organization will hold “Miracles in the Neighborhood” in the vacant fenced-in lot next to Popeyes, at Paris Avenue and Gentilly Boulevard.

There will be a community garage sale, a carwash, a sidewalk sale outside of the secondhand store, and numerous specials in the corner store.

People who are interested can rent vendor booths for a $25 donation and sell any items they want. Food donations are encouraged to help feed the women’s ministry and the homeless.

Manifested Miracles was founded as a nonprofit organization by Riva La Voy last year with the purpose of “Rebuilding Lives, One Miracle at a Time.”

La Voy started Manifested Miracles Properties LLC, which purchased a building at Bruxelles and Treasure streets in Gentilly. The building houses a Women’s Transformation Program, a corner store (Miracles To Go), a secondhand store (Treasures of Hope), the offices for Manifested Miracles and a beauty salon (Pure Beauty).

The organization’s mission is to provide a seven-month live-in program to help women embrace sobriety, rebuild their lives and restore their connection with God. The women go through a 12-step biblical program, counseling, a “faith walk,” “disciple living,” journal writing, higher education, job professionalism training and basic computer classes.